Dreamwalker
by Sekirei1988
Summary: Eriah awakes one night in Jorrvaskr and meets a person of importance to her and her destiny, Martin Septim. Their talk leaves her feeling more uplifted and content with her destiny and she swears to never let his sacrifice be in vain. Takes place after Harbinger's Successor.


Eriah jolted awake. She took a moment to remember where she was. That's when she recalled she had gotten back to Whiterun after running a job for the Companions and being too wiped out from the trip to go back to her house. So she opted to sleep in Jorrvaskr that night and return to Breezehome the next day. She was also in the middle of a bout of depression. Her research into the Dragonborn Prophecy and its various signs, the Oblivion Crisis in particular, had led her to the conclusion that so many had died just so her arrival could come to pass. She couldn't think of any other way to get out of her funk so she took various odd jobs for the Companions hoping to break out of it. It worked for a little bit but once the dust cleared, she was back at square one. She didn't know why she was awake all of a sudden. Sighing and deciding to get some fresh air, Eriah got out of bed and grabbed her Elven warhammer out of habit. Her mother had taught her to never leave anywhere without her weapon. Even in cities, random attacks could occur and a warrior should always have her weapon on hand just in case. She walked up to the main hall and went outside. Masser and Secunda bathed the plains in their light. Taking a deep breath, Eriah stood at the wall before she sensed something...odd. She looked around the training yard but saw nothing. Her eyes were drawn to the Skyforge and she slowly made her way to the stairs leading to it. Getting her warhammer into a ready position, the Dragonborn ascended the stairs and paused at the top.

Sitting on the opposite end of the forge was a figure she didn't recognize. An Imperial by the looks of him. His back was to her and he was contemplating the stars. His hair was about the length that Farkas's was. He was dressed in a simple mage's robe. Eriah steeled herself and she slowly closed the gap a bit. "You shouldn't be here, stranger," she said. The man gave a gentle laugh before turning around to face her. Eriah was thrown off by how knowing his eyes seemed. "I was waiting for you, actually, Eriah Quintence," he said, shuffling his legs over of the natural rock wall and getting to his feet. He was definitely an Imperial. He was slightly shorter than Eriah, a Nord, was. "Who are you? How do you know my name?" she asked, feeling a spark of familiarity in her soul even though she knew she had never crossed paths with this man before. "Who hasn't heard of Eriah Quintence, the Last Dragonborn? As for who I am, I am Martin Septim," he replied. Eriah nearly dropped her weapon at the name. "Wait...Martin Septim? As in _the_ Martin Septim? The last of the Dragonborn Emperors and the one who stopped Mehrunes Dagon in the Oblivion Crisis?" she asked. "The very same," Martin replied, smiling.

The Nord woman let the head of her hammer hit the ground and she leaned against it for support. "That was 200 years ago. According to my research, Martin Septim died after allowing Akatosh to use his body to manifest into Mundus. The Avatar received a fatal blow from Dagon and turned to stone after sending the Daedric Prince back to Oblivion. Is this a dream or was I sent to Sovngarde without knowing it? Better yet, are you a ghost?" she asked, trying to wrap her mind around this conundrum. Martin just chuckled a bit before closing the distance a bit more, stopping only when he noticed the Dragonborn tense up. "Be assured you're just as alive now as you were when you fell asleep. I'm also not a ghost. At least, I don't think I am. So maybe this is a dream. Regardless, I wanted to meet the one my sacrifice had been ordained to precede her coming," he said. Eriah just shook her head, still taking it in. Martin Septim was the last of the Septim bloodline and his death ended the Septim Dynasty forever. He never ruled the Empire officially while he was alive but he was considered the greatest Septim Emperor since Tiber Septim because of his sacrifice.

"I must say...it is an honor," was all she could say. She stood up a bit straighter to look at the Imperial before her before standing at attention, as she did with all authority figures. "So why have you come here? Why meet me?" she asked. Martin backed up to seat himself on the rock ledge again. "I've been more or less frozen in time after the death of the Avatar. I say 'death' very loosely. For all their power, the Daedric Princes cannot truly kill a god, especially if that god is Akatosh. All Dagon did was petrify his physical form but the god himself was perfectly safe in Aetherius the entire time. The Avatar was merely a puppet manifested so Lord Akatosh could move against the forces of Oblivion. After I sacrificed myself to save Tamriel, I was granted full knowledge of the Dragonborn Prophecy because of my fusion with him. I learned why my death was necessary. It certainly explained why I felt at peace with my fate up to the very end. I decided to find you and see for myself if the Prophecy was true. Now that you stand before me, I now fully understand why it came to this. In my time, Alduin was a mere fairy tale. No one believed he existed, despite many ancient texts pointing to the contrary. We had no reason to believe that Oblivion's gates being thrown open would lead to an even greater threat: the return of the World-Eater. I feel even more at peace, knowing I was heralding a mighty hero of men," Martin explained.

Eriah had the benefit of the full Prophecy because she had helped find Alduin's Wall, where it had been chiseled into the ancient stone of Sky Haven Temple eons ago by the Akaviri. The Wall's location had been lost for centuries by the time Martin walked the earth. Naturally, the Prophecy had also faded into obscurity. Martin's obvious respect for her made her break eye contact. Though she had no hand in any of the events that led to her awakening, Eriah still felt responsible for all the lives lost just so she would arrive in time to stop the World-Eater. The last Septim Emperor picked up on the shift in the wind before he leaned forward to rest his arms on his legs. "You...regret everything that led to you, don't you?" he said, more than asked. The Dragonborn just laughed mirthfully. "Is it any surprise? You claim to know much about me. Surely you know that Mara gave me a heart of compassion, right? How can I not regret the lives lost just so Skyrim's savior would come at the appointed time to stop Alduin? If it weren't for me, you probably would've lived to old age, a true Emperor of men and heir to a divine legacy," she said.

Her head dipped lower as silence fell. "Eriah, look at me," Martin then said. Slowly, almost shyly, the Dragonborn did so. "Regret nothing that didn't come about by your own hands. It's been two hundred years since I was lost and even longer in regards to the other signs. You were not involved in any of it so you are not responsible. Think of all the good you have done in your pursuit to see the Prophecy fulfilled." Martin said. Eriah cocked her head. He had a good point but it didn't make the burden any easier to carry. The Imperial got back to his feet and approached the Nord. "He who has seen all that is, all that was, and all that could be. He knew that I would struggle." she mused. "Yes. In fact, he bade me to come here to put your heart at ease. Akatosh loves you, Eriah. He and I are bound forever in Aetherius. In a sense, I am Akatosh or rather, an aspect of him. Believe me when I say that he wants nothing but the best for you. He thinks highly of you, even over us Septims and especially over the First," he said.

Eriah chuckled, looking at her feet and letting her warhammer come to rest on its head. "You were the greatest of us. You and the Hero of Kvatch really saved us all," she said. Martin chuckled, ever the humble soul. "No, Dragonborn...you are the greatest of us all. I've watched you grow up and I've watched the journey you've been on. You've loved, lost, and accomplished so much. I may have sacrificed myself to stop the Oblivion Crisis but you...you saved the world. Multiple times. Being one with Akatosh means I'm privy to certain knowledge. Imagine if Alduin had succeeded or Miraak. You've contributed much to Nirn's survival. Your deeds are your own," he said. The Nordic woman met his gaze and a thoughtful expression crossed her face as he turned back to face the plains of Whiterun. "Will I be remembered?" she asked. "Your deeds certainly will. Make no mistake about that. Your name, however, might be lost over time. But what is a name when you have two? You're known to friends and allies as Eriah Quintence. To the world, your name is Dragonborn. My name has only survived because of my family," came the reply.

Martin turned to face Eriah again, taking note of the thoughtful expression on her face. "The Hero of Kvatch...they disappeared from history not long after the Crisis. Do you know what happened to him or her?" she asked. "That's a secret I'm not at liberty to disclose, I'm afraid. I do know their fate but it's not for you to know," he replied. Eriah nodded and straightened up as the Emperor approached. "My time here grows short. Lord Akatosh allowed me a short time to meet you and I'm glad we did. You're not a Septim and you have no aspirations for a throne but your compassion and willingness to do whatever you can to keep the world safe is admirable. You are worthy of the dragon's blood that flows through you," he said, holding up a hand. Eriah looked at it before raising her hand, mirroring his. Martin reached out and his fingers curled through hers. Eriah did the same in kind and she felt a warm wave of energy flow through her. Sighing with her eyes closed, the Dragonborn felt as if the sun's warmth was within her.

 _"Bormahu...,"_ she whispered, opening her eyes to meet Martin's. "Always remember, my Last-born...you are the end result of countless timelines and much planning. Martin Septim wasn't just some cog in my machine. He was his own man, though his destiny tied into yours. Mourn him not. He is with me forever. So, too, shall you be when your time ends. Sovngarde awaits you and I assure you I will do all in my power to ensure not a single Prince gets your soul if you do not wish it. Trust in me and rest well knowing my claim on your soul is absolute," the man said in a double voice. Akatosh, through Martin, leaned forward and laid a chaste kiss on her forehead, much like a father to his daughter. Eriah closed her eyes to it and sighed. When she opened them, she was alone.

Looking around and seeing no sign that anyone had been there, Eriah wondered if it had been a waking dream. Looking up at the moons, the Dragonborn felt new resolve fill her soul. Her destiny was a heavy one but she had to see it through to whatever end. She couldn't let Martin's sacrifice be in vain. Alduin had been stopped, true, but her destiny didn't end with his defeat. Being Dragonborn was a lifelong deal and so long as she lived, she would do her father Akatosh proud in safeguarding Mundus. There were other threats she had to put an end to as they came up. Miraak had been one such threat and their grudge match had been more personal than her beef with Alduin had been. Now, there was talk of a new threat. Rumors of vampires were becoming more frequent and Eriah decided the time had come for her to take that Orc up on his recruitment. It was time to pay the Dawnguard a visit in their fortress outside Riften and see what could be done to stop the Children of Molag Bal.


End file.
